New areas of operation for the KölnTourist ships
The craftsmen are currently hard at work on the KölnTourist passenger ships. They are sanding and painting, cleaning and polishing. The MS RheinLand and MS RheinPerle will be polished to a high gloss and ready for the first trips of the year just in time for the start of the season directly after the carnival days. The MS RheinTreue is already ready and is also taking on a new area of operation, as from March 2025 the baby of the KölnTourist fleet will be sailing for sister shipping company BFF together with the MS Moby Dick in Bonn and the surrounding area.
"We are looking forward to trying out new cruise concepts with RheinTreue around the Siebengebirge and exploring the beautiful landscape there with our guests," explains Michael Schmitz, who runs the family business together with his mother Angelika Schmitz in Cologne and Max Dornau in Bonn. "At the same time, we are expanding our event program in Cologne even further and are focusing primarily on culinary trips - thanks to the ingenuity and skill of the chefs from our own RheinGastro buffet service."
Culinary world tour on the Rhine
On March 21, 2025, the grand season opening cruise gets underway when the crew of KölnTourist and RheinGastro fire up the barbecue on board for the first time. At Easter, Mother's Day and Whitsun, as well as from June to December, a leisurely brunch cruise is on the program at least once a month. The big highlight of the summer, however, is the "Culinary World Tour" series of events, where guests are whisked away to another culinary world for an evening. On the festively decorated ship, they enjoy delicious typical dishes and drinks from different countries, together with atmospheric music to celebrate and dance to. Managing Director Angelika Schmitz explains: "Our chef Tobias Peter is literally at home in the kitchens of this world and has traveled to all corners of the globe - and galleys. He has an incredible treasure trove of recipes up his sleeve and knows exactly what is important when preparing the specialties of foreign countries." The three trips in 2024 were fully booked. In 2025, a total of no less than seven stages are therefore on the program. The "Culinary World Tour" starts at the end of May with the specialties of Thailand, from June to August it goes once through the Mediterranean cuisine of Greece, Italy and Spain and then directly afterwards to Mexico. For the Oktoberfest season at the end of September, the series stops off in Bavaria with typical regional delicacies and returns home on the Day of German Unity with a buffet tour of typical dishes from all 16 German states.
Hip-hop, Kölsch rock and musicals
There will also be some highlights in the entertainment sector in 2025: On May 10, 2025, a real heavyweight of the German music scene will be performing live on board the MS RheinLand: The seventh show of the successful hip-hop series "Floating Bars" will feature rapper Eko Fresh, together with young up-and-coming artists such as Omar Jatta and Skuff Barbie, as well as co-organizer Phily Van and his crew. For lovers of Cologne music, there will be a real sing-along concert on the Rhine on June 13, 2025 with the six-piece band Whats Jeck.
At the brand new musical dinner show with the experienced singing talents Trudi Mittrup, Jessica Maletzky and Tillmann Winkler on the MS RheinCargo, guests can immerse themselves in the world of great musicals and experience the most beautiful songs from "Starlight Express", "Cats" or "Mamma Mia" while enjoying a delicious 3-course buffet.
Investing in the future
But there is also a lot going on behind the scenes at KölnTourist. The company is particularly active in recruiting and promoting young talent. In addition to training as a bargeman or as a specialist for restaurants and event catering, the company also offers places for working students, e.g. in dual study programs. A total of three working students are employed in the event management and social media departments at the KölnTourist office. The young colleagues also realize their own projects, such as participating in the video blog competition of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport. Under the leadership of Tobias Nahrendorf, the nautical trainees documented aspects of their day-to-day work and showed just how exciting and varied the profession of inland navigation operator is. Their vlog promptly took first place in the competition. "We are incredibly proud of our young colleagues," says a delighted Angelika Schmitz. "We are always impressed by the energy and ingenuity with which they help shape our work."
This also includes the continuous further development of the company in the area of sustainability. From 2025, KölnTourist will actively support the K.R.A.K.E. association, which has declared war on the flood of waste in and along the Rhine. For example, organized tours of the "Rheinkrake" waste trap are planned for school classes and presentations by the association on board KölnTourist ships. In the long term, it would even be conceivable to develop a jetty with an integrated waste trap. "This cooperation is another important component of our sustainability concept," explains Angelika Schmitz. "We are still a long way from reaching our goal, but we are continuing to work hard on it, with all our strength and conviction. Because we love what we do, even when it comes to sustainability."
About KölnTourist Personenschiffahrt:
KölnTourist offers boat trips and boat charters at the most important hubs on the Rhine in the Cologne/Bonn area, an unforgettable and exclusive variety of experiences for a real change of perspective, plenty of relaxation and lots of good humor on one of the most beautiful rivers in Europe. A personal and individual service, delicious food from our own buffet service RheinGastro and a very good price-performance ratio round off the offer.
KölnTourist is a privately run shipping company with decades of tradition and shipping expertise. The fleet is technically state-of-the-art, because the safety of the passengers is always the focus. The interior of the fleet is always well maintained. With a view to the environment and future generations, the company embarked on a journey towards greater sustainability in passenger shipping some time ago. KölnTourist sees itself as a true friend and partner to its guests and is open to the world. The employees are authentic and love what they do - with regard to their fleet, their offers, their guests and the team.